The Hordesman wrote:Reviving an old topic, has these sets appeared anywere in europe? I know Americans have showed off the sets on bricklink and so, but I do wonder if they are available stores anywere at all, or will that happen 2006? I can buy them on the web, but I really want to know when the stores get them.

I need them you know...

Well, according to Lego shop@home, they are currently available in the Netherlands. I would expect that they should be hitting store shelves in large quantities by January. In Canada we already have some of the 2006 sets including some of the new Star Wars sets. Your best bet if you need them immediately is probably shop@home. Still, January isn't that far off.

You know, I've been thinking. This line really isn't too bad. Now hear me out. We, as LEGO Castle fans, can find very little use for the anime hair, excess amount of click-hinges, and wild colors, but if I was a mecha/space builder (which I was, way back when), I'd be really excited*. There are a LOT of mecha builders out there who build anime-type mecha. I bet they are absolutely thrilled about this new line.

Now, look at it the other way. The Vikings come out. LEGO Castle fans rejoice. New figs, new parts, new weapons, and cool models. The Vikings are just what LEGO Castle fans ordered. But they're useless for space/mecha builders.

I think Exo Force to Space/Mecha builders is what Vikings is to Castle builders.

I'm perfectly fine with this whole line. I'm not really into anything besides castle so I don't mind at all what it looks like. Those mechs look awesome, but could use cockpits, or at least give the pilots optional helmets.

Those hair pieces have potential, I can't say much about the faces until I see them in comparison to the other minifig faces.

Those robots(couldn't they have come up with a name that sounds slightly better?) look great, for castle fans they look a lot more useful then the battle droids would. I'm still wondering how that awesome tank got past the no war policy, but if had the spare change I might just pick one up. That hangar looks great but I don't like that colour scheme. That design is a little sloppy but it's a great foundation for a larger mech hanger.

Lord_Of_The_LEGO wrote:Very interesting.I think Exo Force to Space/Mecha builders is what Vikings is to Castle builders.1

Agreed, and if not counting Life on Mars, Titan XP and Robo Platoon, there really havent been a real mecha line. While Spyrius, Robo Force and even the classics did have mechas, they would fit best in a not-so-serious cartoon show, and was not very flexible.Wwhile the later series have been more anime and mechwarrior inspired. Nice to a see a theme having mechas as the core.

I have most of the line (missing the two small sets and the white mech), and it's half good/half bad. LOTS of great stuff for mecha builders, pretty decent construction, affordable prices. Cons: sticker sheets are bigger than any piece in any of the sets, fig faces/hair are awful, light brick uses LULS-style battery.

The stuff for spring '06 looks a hundred times better, though. I'd even go so far as to say that that Venom thing is going to be the best non-Star Wars space set in about a decade. I mean, just look at it! The Sentai HQ looks like a great parts pack as well, and that tank... fantastic construction, that thing has style.

This line has me hankering to put my next project on hold and build a mecha!

Well... they do inspire me to try some more space stuff again. (For those who didn't know, I was a spacer, see here.)
The only set that really bugs me is the Gate Assault one, the rest looks not too bad. I've also read that the hair is rubbery... Bloody Jay, is it the same kind as the Dobby heads? Thanks in advance.